crane

noun

\ ˈkrān

Definition of crane

(Entry 1 of 5)

1 : any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails

2 : any of several herons

3 : an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such as

a : a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track

b : an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles

c : a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera

crane

verb

craned; craning

Definition of crane (Entry 2 of 5)

transitive verb

1 : to raise or lift by or as if by a crane

2 : to stretch toward an object of attention craning her neck to get a better view

intransitive verb

1 : to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention I craned out of the window of my compartment— Webb Waldron

2 : hesitate

Crane

biographical name (1)

\ ˈkrān

Definition of Crane (Entry 3 of 5)

(Harold) Hart 1899–1932 American poet

Crane

biographical name (2)

Definition of Crane (Entry 4 of 5)

Stephen 1871–1900 American writer

Crane

biographical name (3)

Definition of Crane (Entry 5 of 5)

Walter 1845–1915 English artist

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about crane

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Examples of crane in a Sentence

Verb

We craned our necks toward the stage. craned her head to see the roof

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

By next fall, the developers say, the area is expected to be teeming with 20 cranes and 2,800 construction workers. — Arian Campo-flores, WSJ, "Former Hedge-Fund Titan and Bill Gates Are Betting Billions on Tampa," 4 Dec. 2018 Pintails zoom by in the sky, and from across the tundra come the calls of cranes and swans and geese and gulls, talking and cheering, arguing and mating. — Seth Kantner, Anchorage Daily News, "We’re failing in our relationship with nature – and with each other," 9 June 2018 Workers using large cranes and industrial equipment move rock and soil to form new levees and containment dikes. — Gena Somra, CNN, "Louisiana's shrinking marshes signal the loss of a way of life," 6 June 2018 In just over a month, towering cranes and heavy machinery are expected to be in full flurry around TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium as the planned expansion of the east side begins. — Stefan Stevenson, star-telegram, "TCU's donor base skewing younger as Amon G. Carter Stadium renovation nears | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 27 Apr. 2018 DeAngelo's stepfather worked for Burgarel’s father at Sierra Crane and Hoist as a welder making indoor overhead cranes. — Tony Bizjak, Anita Chabria, Dale Kasler, Nashelly Chavez And Diana Lambert, sacbee, "He was quirky and complex. But they never thought the former cop next door could be notorious," 25 Apr. 2018 Construction cranes operate at the Dubai Creek Habour development site. — Bloomberg.com, "A City Reaching for the Sky, Without the Help of Oil," 16 Apr. 2018 Rare and endangered whooping cranes often travel with the sandhills. — Pat Mcdonogh, The Courier-Journal, "Sandhill crane migration through Kentucky offers incredible sights and sounds," 16 Feb. 2018 Construction of a grand RH Gallery is almost complete, and cranes creating high-rise condo towers seem to be popping up everywhere they are allowed—which is not on Palm Beach island, where pretty much nothing is allowed. — Steven Stolman, Town & Country, "What Palm Beach Is Like Now That Donald Trump Is Gone," 10 May 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The boys shone a flashlight on cave walls to find where water was dripping, then took turns collecting it in their hands or craning their necks to drink. — Warangkana Chomchuen, WSJ, "Thai Boys Moved From Dark to Light, Physically and Mentally, After Being Trapped in Cave," 18 July 2018 Trumpeter Rex Stewart is the only musician with his instrument tucked under his arm, and Gerry Mulligan craned his neck to be seen. — Marc Myers, WSJ, "A Great Day in Harlem, Revisited," 2 Nov. 2018 To find a room’s blind spots, stand in the doorway that leads into the room and notice which parts of the room are harder to see from the doorway without craning your neck. — Katie Jackson, Fox News, "10 free tips interior designers charge a lot for," 24 May 2016 There was Ovechkin, eyes shut and neck craned skyward, reacting as the Capitals finally advanced past the second round last month. — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "Alex Ovechkin 'Possessed' in High-Energy Game 3 Performance," 3 June 2018 At certain hours, children craned their necks up at the astronomical clock tower in the main square to see sculptures of the three magi emerging on a carousel. — Jason Horowitz, New York Times, "This Italian Town Once Welcomed Migrants. Now, It’s a Symbol for Right-Wing Politics," 7 July 2018 The player craned his neck around the top of the Cup and smiled. — Rick Maese, chicagotribune.com, "Capitals' T.J. Oshie holds back tears as he shared the Stanley Cup with his dad," 8 June 2018 As that magic hum echoes through Suite 28 above the front straightaway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Rod Polston's head is on a swivel, his neck is craning to move his ears closer to the show. — Dakota Crawford, Indianapolis Star, "What a blind man gets from the Indy 500: 'That gasoline thunder'," 24 May 2018 Large crowds gathered Monday night along the Detroit River and on Belle Isle, craning their necks to see the annual Ford Fireworks display. — Hasan Dudar, Detroit Free Press, "Boom! Firework display awes huge crowd in Detroit, Belle Isle, Windsor," 25 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crane.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.